10 Best Vintage Film Cameras For Beginners In 2024📸

Hey guys. Film Photography is coming back! So, I put together my list of the best film photography cameras in 2024 by first considering who will be using these vintage film cameras. Most buyers will be used to a mirrorless or phone camera.Then best were judged by the following criteria:

Adaptability
Endurance over the years (other words. Which are most likely to work well after being shelved for so long
Ease of use

Link to the full blog post:

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The video chapters are:
00:00 Intro
00:59 10 best film cameras list criteria
04:11 Number 10 Pentax 645N
05:07 Number 9 Hasselblad 500C
05:48 Number 8 The Leicas
06:48 Number 7 Minolta X700
07:32 Number 6 Ricoh GR1
08:13 Number 5 Nikon FM2
08:55 Number 4 Pentax K1000
09:31 Number 3 Olympus OM-10
10:14 Number 1 and 2 Canon AE-1 and Canon A-1
11:17 A small Photo story about film photography gear

[metalfingersfilm]

bruh you're recommending a Hasselblad 500c for a beginner in 2024..? lol

[fxarts]

recommending hasselblad or leica to a beginner is like recommending a bugatti as a great first car to learn driving in

[HelmutWFanck]

Hi Jacques, thank you very much for this really great post! Very nice cameras included. 👍

I've been a Nikon fan boy for decades. I use the good old AF-D lenses digitally and have been on an F5 for a very long time, not small and definitely not light. :-)) But stable and reliable. I develop monochrome films myself and scan the negatives. Pure fun! People dare to take analogue photographs, it's a beautiful journey.

Have a great time everyone and take great photos.
Best regards from Germany🖐👍🍀

[MrBlackviolin]

One of the aspects of a Leica and a Hasselblad that most people do not talk about, is that both of these camera’s are tremendous values and ultimately very cheap, if you take good care of them. Most Leica film equipment are always in great demand! This translates to stable resale value. For instance, If you buy an M3 (beater) in working condition for $500.00 dollars, a 50mm collapsible Summicron (decent condition)for another $500.00-700.00 dollars, use it for a few years and then decide to sell, there is an excellent chance that you will be able to get your money back, if not even a small profit. There are no electronics in this camera and there are enough parts to keep you going for a lifetime. A Leica becomes a savings account in a sense. Any electronically dependent camera can become a unrepairable door stop in a moments notice. I know all too well from lots of bad experience. Not everything is about the hammer price, and value is measured in longevity.

[ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣΜΠΙΤΣΑΚΗΣ]

I bought a Canon EOS 500N for as little as 65 euros and it was in mint condition and totally fine after 6 years of use.

[GONZOFAM]

I'd say a Canon EOS Rebel meets all those criteria best. The PASM knob is the original that all digital cameras have now. Easy to use. Auto focus and fantastic lenses that are forward compatible to later Canon cameras. The EOS 2000 is quick takea good shots, light to carry and cheap enough if it breaks you can buy another without too much heartbreak.

[brucetaylor]

Why the hell did I gave my son my Minolta X-700? It's been sitting in my closet for over 20 years with the batteries out (Thank God). He's had the camera for 2 years now and it's in prime condition. He's added 2 Minolta lenses and a Minolta flash and he loves that camera. I KNOW I'M NOT GETTING THAT CAMERA BACK. LOL.

[AirBudProMax]

I’ve taken a handful of great pictures so far with my AE-1 and I’m brand new.

[MartinZimmermann-uojq]

To me your reasoning is fully convincing, however some remarks: Talking about Leica cameras one might add the Leica R series. You can use superb lenses and they are a bit cheaper than the the M cameras. If you want to have a small camera to carry with you all the time an old Rollei 35 might be useful.

[ericlarson]

A correction on the Nikon FM2 is your comment on the battery: You are correct that a battery corrosion could affect the electronics, but you are incorrect that there are a lot of electronics in the camera. The FM2 like the FM that I own is a fully manual camera. The battery only powers a light meter. The FE2 is fully electronic, and is a bit less popular because of this, but it, unlike the FM2, has aperture priority. Also, all of the cameras you mentioned that have light meters, have battery compartments, and several have much more electronics than a Nikon FE.

Also, I had the Hasselblad 500cm, and I wouldn’t call it a beginner camera.

My current film cameras are the Nikon F3, FE, and FM, all excellent, and those vintage Nikkor lenses are amazing.

[merricfoley]

Don’t understand why people are saying that beginners shouldn’t get an expensive camera. Cheap doesn’t equal beginner friendly and many people just like getting something good quality from the outset.

[ataboyboyboy]

My list: get a canon A1 and you are done even when you become an expert. Easy to find and cheap. If you want multi metering get the canon t90, if you want autofocus get the EOS 1 range. Got my a1, fully serviced for £130, 4 lenses 28, 50, 135, and 35-135 macro for £160, mint. If you have EF lenses go for the canon EOS range, I got 3 mint, canon 100 (£20), canon 1000fn (£23), and EOS 1n (£150).

[tomislavmiletic_]

Hello, nice to see ya around 😁
Can't tell you how many times I've fixed devices with crusted batteries inside, mostly successful, but not always...
Leicas are out of my price range. But if I wanna shoot rangefinders I'll grab either my newly acquired Olympus 35RC 
or one of my dad's Zorkis that recently sprang to life by themselves (yep, Russian cameras are weird).
I had Nikon FM2, bought new, and as idiot that I am, I've sold it.
Recently I've acquired a beautiful Olympus OM40, but it already crapped on me. And all photo mechanics are on summer leave 🤬
It's not a total loss, course the lens I got with it (50mm macro) is usually worth more than the whole set I've got.
So for a while I'll keep shooting my old trusty OM1n. Fully mechanical film cameras are still the best in my mind.
And for people that are coming from FF DSLR-s cameras that never shot film before (rare breed, I know) 
but wanna try it out, it wouldn't be the worst idea to look for cheap film SLR autofocus cameras, course they wouldn't need to buy
a whole new set of lenses. For example, both Canon 500n or Nikon F601 can be obtained between for $20 to $40 in good condition.
Just saying.

Cheers

[angelinakubica]

Hi there- thank you for the informative video :) I was wondering, as I'm looking for a film camera just to have a go with film rather than take professional photos, do you know if there are any simple vintage cameras that could be in the $15-40 range that work ok?

[ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣΜΠΙΤΣΑΚΗΣ]

You did not mention consumer grade autofocus models of the 90's. They are cheaper and more convenient than any of the cameras in the video. Same is true about their kit zooms they were coming with.

[jordanjoestar]

1: Olympus OM1
2: Olympus OM1
3: Olympus OM1

I love the Canon AE1 and A1. But the build and accuracy to me has never lived up to the OM1. After thousands of shots, shooting in rain, snow and more my hit rate with the OM is well over 95%. In fact, id say in good faith I know every shot from my OM is going to be perfect! (Assuming the light meter is working, which even with the "wrong" modern battery is DEAD ACCURATE)

[pedrol.]

I should ad The Olympus OM2 and The Nikon FM3A.